Our society is slowly moving towards electric vehicles. We say slowly because the battle against fossil fuels is still ongoing. We’re not going to be hypocrites here, the majority of us are still using diesel vehicles where we live. But, if you look around you’ll see more and more Teslas and other electric cars. But, while we wait for more and more cars, people are turning their heads to other means of electric transportation. One of the predominant choices is of course electric bikes. Are you owning one?
Considering you are reading this article we assume that you do. Everyone who owns this type of bike simply loves it. E-bikes come with plenty of upsides and with only one major downside. As you could guess we are talking about battery life. Recharging a battery is not an issue when you’re at home. But, when you’re outside, riding your electric bike, and you want to cross many miles things do get complicated. So, it begs the question that every bike owner asks at least a hundred times – can you extend the range of an electric bike?
This is a fine question. We have a few answers for all of you e-bike lovers. First of all, if you want to get this question from your mind you need to equip your vehicle with the best ebike batteries out there, and those you can find here. But, if you’re a fan of long rides, and do not want to stop for a recharge, or you simply don’t have where we’re still going to answer the primary question asked in this article. Let’s see what can be done with this issue every electric bike owner has.
Lower the Assistance
This is step one. Tell us that you didn’t remember this first. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t. here we are. Help is on the way. As you know, the primary issue with electric bikes is the range.
The batteries you have are there to assist you. How do they do this? Well, they pedal instead of you, of course. Here we come to the small matter of the level of assistance. If you didn’t know this level can be either lowered or increased. The battery life is more consumed if the level of assistance is increased. If you’re going for a long ride you do not want too much assistance. This way you’ll eat through your battery life, and you’ll be left pedaling on your own. With lower assistance, the battery life expectancy is increased, and you’ll be able to enjoy your ride for a little bit, with less of your power consumed.
Pedaling Frequency
This is yet another factor that ties well with the one we mentioned above. Pedaling frequency is also affecting your battery life. Did you know this? If not, it doesn’t matter you know now. The ideal frequency is set at 70-75 revolutions per minute. Your battery will be consumed faster if you drive faster. It all comes down to the speed of your choice at which you want to ride your bike. If you choose the highest gear, which is the hardest one to pedal your battery will die out faster. So, by choosing a lower gear, or at least one that is not the hardest, you’ll take better care of your battery. If your goal is to ride for extended periods, without a need to recharge or to put your legs at 100% capacity, you need to take good care of these small matters.
Watch Out for The Weather
This is easier said than done. But, biking is not a sport you can practice in all seasons. You know that much. You require fine weather, even if some love to bike under light rain. But, as far as electric bikes go, you’re better off riding when the weather is fair. But, there are some restrictions even if the weather is sunny and warm. If your battery life is your main preoccupation you’ll pay great attention to the weather when you go out. As far as your battery is concerned it enjoys temperatures between 10 and 20 degrees C. you should know that your battery will drain faster as the weather gets colder. So, if you enjoy riding during the winter months you should know that your battery is going to suffer due to it.
Ease Up On The Throttle
Again, this is easier said than done. We all love to drive fast when the opportunity arises or the situation requires it. But, you should know that acceleration is what is using the majority of your battery. So, the next time you want to go through traffic lights on blinking green, or you want to pass another driver on the street you should know that you’ll be eating out of your battery life much faster. This is common knowledge, just like when you’re driving your car. The faster you go the more fuel you’ll consume. But driving a bike is all about a slow ride and enjoyment. So, people often do not seek acceleration past a few selected situations. All that is left if you want to save your battery life in a situation like this one is to remember that acceleration will eat your battery.
Charge Battery After Use
This is something many people don’t do. They do when the battery is almost dead. But, the best way to save our battery life is to recharge it while it’s still high. So, when you’re done with your daily routine, and your battery is still at 50% or higher, don’t let it rest. Charge it after each ride. This is the best way to increase its range each time you drive. The worst thing you can do is to leave it to dry out completely. When your battery often reaches 0% and shuts down, you’re killing it. It will take more time to recharge, and it will drain faster when you’re on the road. So, take good care of it, and you’ll be doing a favor to both the battery and yourself.